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Friday, 4 November 2016

ℚ♫ Iniquity: The Ascent [1] - Melody Winter

Today we have the pleasure of meeting up with author Melody Winter to talk about Iniquity (20 October 2016, Melody Winter, 320 pages), a New Adult Fantasy Romance, book one of The Ascent series.

"I had the privilege to read an early draft of Winter’s story, and Iniquity had developed into a solid, masterful work. She has carefully crafted each detail, from the demonic and terrifying creatures that roam the night to the makeshift societies humanity has scraped together as they attempt to survive in a world overrun by darkness. The characters and their actions are believable, even as tentative alliances turn into deeper, more complicated relationships as the story progresses. Winter should be proud of the world she has created, and, much like before, I find myself eagerly waiting for the next instalment in Athena’s story."

"Melody Winter is a superb writer, with a talent rivaling Sarah Maas in her world building and romance. If you read Sarah's books, you'll love this!"

A very warm welcome to fellow Brit Melody Winter; thank you for joining us on BooksChatter!

To kick us off, Melody has shared with us her music playlist for Iniquity - enjoy!

What was the inspiration for Iniquity?

"It came to me whilst watching the world news. There had been an earthquake and then a week later there was another. I recalled all the other natural disasters that had happened: The ash spewing volcano in Iceland, and the tsunami’s hitting the Philippines and Japan. And I just thought, what if this is a warning of some sort? Why is this happening? Why is there a sudden increase? My mind kept coming back to the warning though, and that’s where the idea of demons trying to escape from under the earth’s crust came from. All these 'natural' disasters were the demons' testing their power, waiting for the right moment to ascend. Iniquity deals with what happened when they did ascend from under the world's surface."

How much of yourself is reflected in this book, and how?

"In a way, I think I always write my main character reflecting myself in some way, not necessarily how I am, but how I’d like to be. And I’m sure my leading men are the type I’d love to be involved with!"

The first thing that draws me to a book is its cover. Can you tell us about your cover for Iniquity - why you chose that concept and who the artist is.

"My cover designer for Iniquity was Amalia Chitulescu. I’d seen examples of her work and knew that she was the person I wanted to work on Iniquity. She has a certain style about her designs and I was positive she’d capture my ideas perfectly. I suggested having Athena and Odin on the front cover and told her about the feel of the book and the darkness that was a constant. Her first design only needed a few tweaks—she got it straight away."

Can you tell us something quirky about Iniquity, its story and characters?

"I love Greek mythology and also spend a lot of time researching my characters’ names. Athena means ‘Goddess of wisdom’, but she was also a fierce warrior and loved animals. Erebus was the Greek god of darkness. I’m sure my readers don’t think anything about the names and their meanings but to me, each name is carefully picked. Sometimes it can be quite a nightmare choosing them."

Who would you recommend Iniquity to and what should readers be aware of (any warnings or disclaimers)?

"I’d recommend Iniquity to any romance readers who love a dark and suspenseful read. I’d also recommend it to readers of fantasy, who don’t mind a bit of romance. The only thing I’d probably warn about is a rather hot sex scene towards the end!"

If you could / wished to turn Iniquity and the The Ascent series into a movie, who would be your dream team?

I’d love the film to be shot where I placed it—in the forests around Buttercrambe."

What do you like to write and read about? Do you stick to a particular genre or do you like to explore different ones?

"I like to write about romance. I’ve never written anything other than romance. I also love the freedom that fantasy gives an author. I like to try and alter what’s expected and surprise my readers with many unseen twists and turns. Sometimes I feel like I’m writing mysteries. I am writing a contemporary romance though, so the fantasy side has to be restricted somewhat. And yes. Romance is always my choice of reading material, be it historical, contemporary, fantasy, or erotica."

What is your writing process?

"I like to write about romance. I’ve never written anything other than romance. I also love the freedom that fantasy gives an author. I like to try and alter what’s expected and surprise my readers with many unseen twists and turns. Sometimes I feel like I’m writing mysteries. I am writing a contemporary romance though, so the fantasy side has to be restricted somewhat. And yes. Romance is always my choice of reading material, be it historical, contemporary, fantasy, or erotica."

What is in store next?

"Iniquity is the first book in The Ascent Series. It was always going to be a two book series, but whilst planning out the second book in more detail I realized that it will probably become a three book series! In the second book you’ll get introduced to ‘city-living’ with the renegades and infernals and another, as yet, unknown creature that will have a massive effect on Athena. And of course—we’ll get to meet the Master."